The Chairman of the World Council of Rusyns Paul Robert Magocsi
from Toronto accepted the invitation and participated in the
first meeting of the preparatory committee which took place
on June 18th, 2008in the Office of Rusyn and Narodny Novinky, which is
also the centre of other Rusyn organisations. The committee is
in charge of organising the First World Rusyn Costume Party
to be held on February 28th, 2009 and will fill up
the whole building of the Dukla Hotel in Prešov. The ball is
supposed to be Rusyn not only by its content and form but also a
surprise for those who decide to come. In the picture, the
participants of the meeting can be seen (from the left): P.
R. Magocsi, Anna Servická, Stanislav Stanislav, Michal Repčík
and Valéria Fürješová. The committee also includes the
following members: Alexander Zozuľák (the Head of the
Committee) and Ivan Kopor. Everybody can come from any
part of the world as accommodation will also be provided in the
above-mentioned hotel for all those who show their interest in
attending our ball in advance.

The 1st
international Congress of the Rusyn Language was
organised with the initiative of the World Congress of Rusyns and
held on November 6th – 7th, 1992 in the Spa of
Bardejov. The Rusyn Revival of CSFR (Czechoslovak Federal Republic) and
the Carpathian-Rusyn Research Centre of the USA were the main
organisers. The congress was also supported by the Swedish Academy of
Stockholm, the Romanche League of Switzerland and the Academy of
Dialects of Monaco. Its aim was to coordinate the initial work in
forming the standard Rusyn language. The congress ran in two
sections: academic/research and practical. In both, significant
well-known Slavists, sociologists and historians talked about the
experience of other nations with codification. Using the words of
Professor Alexander Dulicenko from Estonia, twelve points of the
Resolution from the 1st language congress made it evident
that Rusyns can take a similar way to the one of almost forty-thousand
strong nationality of Ret Romans, who, over fifty years, used six
variations of standard language and all of them were also taught at
schools. On their basis, in 1982, a common standard language
rumantsch grischun was formed, and in 1996, became the fourth
official language of Switzerland, alongside German, French and Italian.
Standard Rusyn language should have formed analogically, on the basis of
colloquial variations of the regions (states) where Rusyns live, each of
them separately at the beginning; but, gradually on their bases, one
common standard global Rusyn language should be formed. As the outcome
of the congress and the work of linguists and journalists of the
editorial office of Rusín and Ľudove Noviny, the codification of
standard Rusyn language of Slovakia was ceremonially announced on
January 27th, 1995 in Bratislava; having its own
orthographical rules, an orthographical dictionary, a dictionary of
linguistic terminology and the first primer and reader.

●
On September 28th, 2006; the participants of
the interregional Programme Committee of the 3rd
Congress of the Rusyn Language were welcomed to the Institute of
the Regional and National Minority Studies, University of Prešov
by its Director Professor Štefan Šutaj, Dr.Sc (fourth from the left). In the picture,
there are also: Dr. hab H. Fontanski, Mgr. M. Chomjak from
Poland, Professor Michal Fejsa from Serbia and PhDr. A. Pliskova
and Mgr. A. Blichova from Slovakia.

●
After the two-day meeting of the committee, which took
place in the lounge of the A. Dukhnovich Students’ Hall of
Residence, the participants had their picture taken in front of
the building. Left to right:
Assistant Professor V. Jabur, CSc., A.
Pliskova, H. Fontanski’s wife Alica, M. Chomjak, H. Fontanski,
PhDr. M. Malcovska, M. Fejsa, A. Blichova and Mgr. V. Padak, CSc.

Photo: A. Z.

The 2nd
Congress of the Rusyn Language was
organised with the initiative of Prof. Dr. Paul Robert Magocsi, PhD.
and thanks to the financial support of the Carpatho-Rusyn
Research Centre of the USA (of which he has been the President)and held on April 16th – 17th, 1999 at the
University of Prešov; also in connection with the foundation of the
Department of Rusyn Language and Culture as a part of the
Institute of National Minority Studies and Foreign Languages, the
University of Prešov,as a research-educational institution.
The congress, in the approved Resolution, confirmed the main principles
established at the 1st congress, in relation to building the
language; and each regional section (of Slovakia, Sub-Carpathia, Poland
and Hungary) decided to take for its objective the broadening of spheres
where particular variations of Rusyn function. The sphere of education
was decided to be a priority. In the Resolution, the importance of newly
established academic-educational institution for the further development
of Rusyn language and culture was emphasised. Consequently, the
International Council for Research and Exchange (IREX) appointed the
University of Prešov the educational centre for
academics dealing with the Rusyn studies.

Recently,
the preparations of the 3rd International Congress of the
Rusyn Language have started in Prešov, although the congress
will be held in the next year in Krakow. Its preparatory phase –
programmefinalising – was dealt with by the
Interregional Preparatory Committee, which held a meeting on
September 28th – 29th, 2006 in the lounge of the
Alexander Dukhnovich Students’ Hall of Residence.The meeting
was organised by the World Congress of Rusyns and the financial
support was arranged by Professor P. R. Magocsi. On the basis of
functioning of particular variations of Rusyn and the significance of
the educational sphere for the national life of Rusyns as such, the
members of the Committee agreed that the following congress should,
again, deal with two subjects: academic-theoretical and
educational-practical. On the committee, there are academics and
pedagogues from the countries where Rusyns live: Slovakia – Assistant
Professor Vasil Jabur, CSc., PhDr. Anna Pliskova, Mgr. Alena Blichova,
Mgr. Marek Gaj and Mgr. Stefan Suchy; Poland – Professor Henrik
Fontanski, Mgr. Miroslava Chomjak; Serbia – Professor Michal Fejsa;
Ukraine Mgr. Valerij Padak, CSc., Mgr. Michal Almasij; Hungary –
Assistant Professor Michal Kapral, Assistant Professor Gergej Benedek
(unfortunately, not all of them could come to the meeting; still,
some of them sent their proposals). As there is, among the topics to be
discussed at the following congress, the area of global Rusyn
language standard; possibilities of Rusyn Cyrillic (which is not
identical) convergence were proposed. The individual variations also use
different linguistic terminology, in spite of the fact that the
dictionary of linguistic terminology published in 1994 was an outcome of
consensus of the interregional linguistic committee, and it was
presented as one of the primary publications in relation to the
codification of the variation of the Rusyn language spoken in Slovakia.
It seems that some language problems, which have already been solved,
will have to be dealt with again at the 3rd congress. The
topic of functioning of Rusyn in the educational system of the
particular countries will be new, though,and
discussed especially by teachers of Rusyn of all key stages
(kindergarten to universities). Itsother aim will be to
decide for steps to be taken to converge the major
methodical-pedagogical documents on Rusyn language and literature,
decide how to compile textbooks, choose teaching aids and study
literature, teaching methodology and so on. The primary agenda of
the proposed topics is based on the main objectives of the following
congress, which is the process of convergence of Rusyn language
variations and strengthening of the position of the Rusyn language.
The fact that themembers of the committee agreed with one voice
to continue in the work of the interregional language section, which was
in operation prior to the codification of the Rusyn language in
Slovakia, can be considered an important outcome of the meeting of the
Programme Committee.

PhDr.
Anna PLISKOVA, a member of the
Preparatory Committee and the main organiser of the aforementioned
meeting

(Shortened
and edited by A. Z.; the complete article entitled Začalî
prîpravy 3. kongresu rusîn´skoho jazyka can, in the Rusyn
version, be found on our website, in the columns LANGUAGE and CONGRESS –
Events)

After
last year’s series of events entitled Meetings with the Mother
Tongue, whichtook place in Kolbovce, Medzilaborce, Ruska
Poruba, Snina, Pčoline and Stakčín, the main organiser of which was the
Rusyn Civic Association and the Ľudové Noviny Press; a new series of
these events started in 2006. The first one took place in the Primary
School in Šarišsky Štiavnik, in the Svidnik district on February 23rdin cooperation with the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre in Prešov.

At the Meeting with the Mother Tongue in the Primary School
in Šarišsky Štiavnik (left to right): the Rusyn writers M.
Maľcovská and Š. Suchý, the Principal of the school M.
Červeňáková; and I. Malačinová and R. Bilý – the presenters
of the pupils’ cultural programme.

In the
foyer of the school, where the event took place, the Principal of the
school Mgr. Mária Červeňáková welcomed the guests from Prešov:
the writers PhDr.Mária Maľcovska and Mgr. Štefan Suchy; a
popular interpreter of Rusyn folk songs Mária Mačoškova and
the accordionist Jozef Piroh, as well as Mgr. Alexander
Zozuľák, the editor-in-chief of „Narodny novînki“ (National News)
and „Rusyn“, the editor in charge of the Rusyn non-periodical issues and
textbooks .

After
the initial hymnal song „Ja Rusyn byl, jesm i budu...“ (I was a Rusyn, I
am one and I will be…), A. Zozuľák spoke first. He presented the results
of the Rusyn editorial activities and then pointed out the possibilities
of the Rusyn language and culture teaching at Primary, Secondary and
High Schools as well as universities. He emphasised the new opportunity
to study this subject in combination with 12 different subjects within
the bachelor form of studies at the University of Prešov, which is being
opened in the academic year 2006/2007. He said that, after graduation
from the studies of the above mentioned subject, there is a possibility
to get employed in various institutes and Rusyn organisations and,
especially, at schools. Hesaidhe was delighted that a
lot of parents realised there is no need to be ashamed of their mother
tongue and their Rusyn nationality; but, on the contrary, they should be
proud of that and also guide their children in this direction. This is
what a number of Rusyn parents from Šarišsky Štiavnik and Beňadikovce
are doing, as their children attend lessons of the Rusyn language and
culture. He was surprised that six Slovaks from the village of Radoma
also study Rusyn at the Primary School in Šarišsky Štiavnik. They also
learn lovely Rusyn songs, as we could hear later in the varied cultural
programme, which was prepared under the leadership of the teachers,
especially the teachers of Rusyn language and culture – Mgr. Mária
Bakova and Mgr. Monika Sakarova and presented to the guests from
Prešov as well as the attending parents and grandparents, who were very
pleased by the performance, which was confirmed by a thunderous
applause.

After
A. Zozuľák’s speech, M. Maľcovská (an editor of „Rusyn“ and „National
News“) and Štefan Suchý (a methodologist of the Rusyn language and
literature from the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre in Prešov) – the
laureates of the prestigious Aleksander Dukhnovich Award for Rusyn
literature presented excerpts from their literary works. Afterwards, a
varied cultural programme made up from presenting, reciting and singing,
naturally in Rusyn, as well as dancing took place. The following pupils
participated at the programme: Ivanka Malaničová, Rasťo Bilý, Zdenka
Vaňková, Nikolka Jaroščáková, Katka Ivančová, Erika Hadzimová, Vladka
Lesňáková and Štefánia Fečová, as well as the choir of 26 pupils of 1st
– 4th grades. The programme pleased all the attending.
Those of us, coming from Prešov, were also pleased by the fact that from
65 pupils at the school, 26 pupils of the 1st – 4th
grades study Rusyn as a compulsory subject – their mother tongue – and
20 pupils of the 5th – 9th grades learn the
language in study groups; which is a shame – it would be more gratifying
if the subject was also compulsorily taught.

And we
are getting close to the end of the Meeting with the Mother Tongue, when
M. Mačošková with J. Piroh’s accordion accompaniment successfully
performed. With their every song, the applause became more and more
clammering and finally, M. Mačošková singing with the talented pupils,
the members of the school singing group under the leadership of Ing.
Ján Majer was the gala finale of the event.

The popular interpreter of Rusyn folk songs M. Mačošková
and the accordionist J. Piroh with some members of the
singing group – pupils at the Primary School in Šarišsky
Štiavnik, whose performance was the final gala of the
cultural programme and the whole event. On the right: the
teachers of the Rusyn language and culture at the school –
M. Baková and M. Sakarová.

The
grandiose ending as well as the whole event will surely be remembered by
every participant. We all left for home with a nice feeling that the
school is being renovated and that, in accordance with the Rusyn spirit,
the Rusyn language and culture are taught. It can be seen that the
school’s pedagogical staff, under the leadership of their new principal,
is trying hard.

An
interesting meeting of members of the Alexander Duchnovič Society took
place on 17th October 2005 in Užhorod with the participation of the
foreigner guest Steven Chepa from Toronto, whose Rusyn father was born
in the village of Malyj Brereznyj in Subcarpathia and Rusyn mother in
Lemkovina. Although S. Chepa was born
and is presently living in Canada, he speaks the Rusyn language, he
identifies himself to be Rusyn and he tries to do as much as he can for
Rusyns. As the president of the big Canadian company Norstone Financial
Corporation in Toronto he sponsors many cultural
events of Rusyns in Europe and we do highly appreciate mainly the fact
that he does support not only the development of Rusyn literature,
culture, further education in the field of Rusyn studies by means of
interships at University of Toronto, but moreover he does back up the
publishing of school textbooks and opening and activity of Sunday
schools of Rusyn language in Subcarphatia.
And he performs more other activities for Rusyns with all his heart and
on the basis of his warm relation to his Rusyn nation.

Due to
these reasons many people took part in the meeting with the guest of
honour in the Alexander Duchnovič Society. Not only the members of the
society were present, but as well common Rusyns who had an interest to
see the greatest Rusyn maecenas S. Chepa who during his visit in Užhorod
in June 2005 promised to help to reconstruct the building of Alexander
Duchnovič Society at Pravoslávne nábraží No. 21 which would serve for
the activities of Rusyn organisations and clubs and at the same time
that would be a place for publishing of Rusyn weekly and for opening the
Sunday school of the Rusyn language etc. Rusyns welcomed the initiative
yet some of them have their own ambitions and thus they started to
misrepresent S. Chepa’s words, as for instance former chairperson of the
Alexander Duchnovič Society Ludvik Filip and the “lawyer” Petro Hoďmaš
began to act against it in press.

Let’s turn
our attention back to the meeting. The atmosphere among normal,
nationally aware Rusyns was congenial, because V. Chepa’s behaviour was
also normal, spontaneous and he answered all the questions of the
present guests and he as well confirmed, that in spite of all
unfavourable people he would help to renovate the Rusyn National
House in Užhorod. He stated that he would support the effort of the
new management of Alexander Duchnovič Society and at the same time he
would support the return of the highest possible number of people to
Rusyn culture and traditions, especially young members of the society
and Rusyn youth in general.

Consequently, member’s
meeting of the Alexander Duchnovič Society took place on 22nd October
2005 in Užhorod,
at which the
work of society management headed by L. Filip was strictly considered.
Valerij Paďak and Vasyľ Cugo, members from the former
management, were shown the trust by the society members, and they
remained the management members.
Vira Bahanič, Dimitrij Pop, and Rozalia Dumnič became the new management
members. V.
Paďak was elected to the position of chairperson.